MY MOST RECENT VISIT TO THE Observatory was prompted by a Friends Of The Observatory invitation to view the early morning Alpha Aurigid meteor shower in September. The opportunity to witness the meteor shower, learn more about meteors, and to roam through the premises of Griffith Observatory was too good to miss.

I accepted the invitation, and brought my family with me. Blankets were packed, along with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot coffee and cocoa and other goodies in our picnic basket and off we went.

We really didn’t know what to expect, but as we walked the short path from our parking space the Observatory came into sight and it was spectacular. The interior lights of the Observatory were lit and welcomed us. It became our home for those early morning hours, or more accurately, it was our majestic palace in the dark sky. You could hear other people sounding excited about just being there at this unusual hour.

The weather was balmy and while spreading out our blankets on the front lawn we could see the wide open sky with tiny beams of light watching us watching them. Occasionally a game of peeka- boo with silky airy clouds hid one or two gleams of light, but the clear air seemed to polish the stars to a great shine and kept the clouds at bay. Perhaps the stars knew they were on stage this evening.

My brother and I went up to the Zeiss telescope to observe the Orion Nebula. We laughed as the sound of the dome’s door clanging shut reminded us of many other times we had heard the same sound. We stood looking out through the opening of the dome awaiting our turn to look through the big telescope and listening to the interesting information the telescope operator was telling us.

All of a sudden a great sound of Ahhhhh went up and we witnessed a long, tail shooting meteor dance across the sky as it passed by the dome opening. It seemed so big and bright I might have touched it if I had reached out my hand. Nothing could have been more beautiful, that is, until I peered through the lens of the telescope.

The Orion Nebula was glorious and as I gazed at it I knew that at that moment there was no place else in the world I would rather be. We walked out of the dome and waited for the clang of the door shutting behind us, ushering us off.

And then the meteor shower began in earnest and we lay back down on the lawn and followed the bright lights with everyone else. The ohhs and ahhs ringing out as each meteor crossed the sky.

What an incredibly special morning under the stars. Thank you FOTO and Griffith Observatory.

CELEBRATING THE GIFTS OF THE SEASONAs unbelievable as it seems to us — it has been a full year since Griffith Observatory re-opened to incredible acclaim. Not only did we realize a banner year of attendance and witness the debut of exciting new programs and exhibits, but the expansion and renovation resulted in international recognition of the Observatory and the host of dedicated professionals and volunteers who fostered its success.

This recognition isn’t just FOTO or the media or your friends commenting on how wonderful the renovated and expanded Observatory is, but we have been acknowledged by people who professionally evaluate projects like ours — who have awarded Griffith Observatory and FOTO an unprecedented number of awards. Take a look at this list:

And there is one more award in the wings. Griffith Observatory is representing the City of Los Angeles in the final competition for a World Leadership Award. A group, including representatives from FOTO, will make a presentation in London this month. With stiff competition from Lagos and India the result is not certain, but it is yet another honor to reach the finals and make an in-person presentation. Watch the FOTO website (www.friendsoftheobservatory.com) for an announcement of the results.

Indeed, the recognition that comes with the superb work of so many individuals and organizations may not have been sought but is gratifying nonetheless. It truly puts Griffith Observatory on a world stage; an icon of Los Angeles, yes, but an international leader in public astronomy and education as well.

In this busy time of year we hope you will find an opportunity to visit us again soon. Until then, WE HERE AT FOTO WISH YOU THE WARMEST HOLIDAY WISHES AND MAY THE STARS CONTINUE TO SHINE FOR US ALL.

Griffith Observatory opened to approximately 350 members of Friends Of The Observatory at about 3:00 a.m., P.D.T., this morning (1 September 2007). They joined about 40 staff members for an alpha Aurigid meteor watch. Curator Dr. Laura Danly twice briefed visitors with background on the shower in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater, and by about 4:10 a.m., P.D.T., everyone was out on the walks and lawns in front of the Observatory. Over the next 35 minutes, between 12 and 15 bright meteors were easily seen despite the light-drenched Los Angeles sky, bright waning gibbous moon, and scattered light clouds.

The total bright meteor count is an assessment from conversations with the crowd and from personal observation. Most people saw about eight, but not everyone had the same view or observed through the entire span of time. I personally counted about 12 events.

I am not experienced at estimating the brightness of meteors, but each was the brightest thing seen except for the moon. The magnitude on average was maybe -3, but don’t trust me. Most moved downward to the east or across the sky to the southeast. I saw nothing cross overhead. The trails were reasonably consistent, about two degrees in length. I saw no bolides. Although I could not really pinpoint a peak in the activity, more of the meteors occurred between 4:20 a.m. and 4:40 a.m., P.D.T. From our perspective, the shower performed as advertised. Normally, we would never see that many bright meteors over that period of time in Los Angeles.

The atmosphere was convivial. We had about ten telescopes available, some provided by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, for viewing Mars and other objects. The night was warm, but from about 4:30 a.m., a pleasant, cool breeze began blowing from the east. We had opened the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, with background music and a slowly rotating Zeiss Mark IX Universarium sky with blues as a quiet zone in which people could sit comfortably before going outside.

It is, of course, very unusual for Griffith Observatory to be open in the middle of the night. We usually close at 10 p.m., and Griffith Park is closed until 6 a.m. For singular celestial events, however, we put people eyeball to the universe, and the tight prediction of bright meteors prompted us to stage this semi-public event.

In our announcement to members of Friends Of The Observatory, I was quoted, “This is the first time this kind of bright meteor burst has been so precisely predicted. There are no guarantees it will occur. Sometimes you have to stay up all night to find out if we really understand the universe.”

Everyone was charmed to stay up all night at Griffith Observatory. The last time I was in the park at that hour, it was on fire.

1934: Albert Einstein visits the White House, the Dionne quintuplets are born and Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany. And from a quiet neighborhood in Hollywood, 15-year-old Irving “Irv” Sherman hikes the mile from his parents’ home up a twisting trail to observe construction of the Griffith Observatory.

“People who wanted to could drive up there, but the paved road was longer,” says Sherman, who sometimes made the trek with a friend.

A retired civil engineer, Sherman resides today in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. As a 4-year-old he moved with the family from Portland to the Los Angeles area and aside from time away during World War II, lived his entire life in Southern California.

He agrees that few contemporary Angelenos would recognize the area as it was back then.

“As I recall, the population at that time was about a million and a quarter,” Sherman says. “Los Angeles was the largest city in California, but because it spread out like an octopus, it had a pretty suburban feel.”

Sherman discovered the Observatory’s construction activity on his own.

“It wasn’t in the newspapers at first. I think I first saw it just walking on Western Avenue because you could see the site of the Observatory from there. It was pretty obvious something was going on.”

Sherman also would hike to the top of Mount Hollywood, with its superior elevation, for another view of the intriguing project.

“I didn’t really understand the details of what was going up, but the shape was very interesting with the domes,” he says. “It was a fun place to visit because of the location and its very fine view of the city.”

Indeed, it was a grand time to explore Los Angeles. The transformation from backwater cow town into modern city was nearly complete. The agricultural and film industries flourished. Sherman recalls fondly the Craftsman-style architecture popular in middle-class neighborhoods of the day, and how during winter cold snaps the citrus growers would fire up smudge pots across endless miles of orchards. As a student at Hollywood High School, he rubbed elbows with the likes of Judy Turner, who would soon change her name to “Lana” and enter films; and Marjorie Belcher, who went on to become one-half of famed dance couple Marge and Gower Champion.

Sherman left the area during World War II, working as a civilian aerial photo interpreter, before the Army drafted him and he found himself stationed in locales across the country. He didn’t reconnect with Griffith until after the war.

“I had seen enough of the country and missed the climate” of Southern California, he recalls. As a young family man and veteran, married and once more living in Hollywood, Sherman rediscovered hiking in Griffith Park. Later on, his children grew to know and enjoy the Observatory.

Over the years Sherman took countless visitors there to show off the city.

“People were always thrilled by the view provided, although of course I didn’t take them on a day the smog was bad,” he remembers. “It’s a lot better now than it was, and of course when it was first built there was no such thing as smog—the term wasn’t invented yet.”

Sherman stays busy these days as a student in the SAGE Society, a learning-in-retirement organization for seniors interested in intellectual and cultural stimulation. The program operates under the auspices of the College of Extended Learning at California State University Northridge.

He remains a fan of the re-opened Observatory, which he continued to visit even as it readied for temporary shut-down.

“Obviously the Observatory did need modernization. But I found it was a fun place to go to right up until the time it closed for reconstruction,” he says.

“The renovation has greatly improved the place what with all the new exhibits, the more comfortable seating in the Planetarium, even the added restaurant. And I haven’t even yet had enough time to explore everything.”

…and I thought the project would be finished when the first shuttle arrived and the renovated and expanded Griffith Observatory reopened to admiring crowds. How naïve! Today, on the first anniversary of our Galactic Gala, I pause to muse on the very specialnature of this stunning accomplishment: a Griffith Observatory for the twenty-first century. Three thoughts immediately come to mind. First, we, you, me, and everyone associated with Friends Of The Observatory, really did this. It is no longer a dream, it is a fact. Griffith Observatory has been restored and returned to the public, the people who actually own this treasure.

Second, the excellence of the project has not diminished. I am thrilled every time I walk into the Gunther Depths of Space and see the Moon in the distance and The Big Picture on my right. My five-year fear that the unfinished concrete beams overhead would make the space look like a dimly-lit parking garage has faded. The dramatic, whimsical Timeline of the Universe created with nearly 2500 individual pieces of celestial jewelry is as magical and captivating as we imagined it would be. And the show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, Centered in the Universe, is as inspiring on the 24th viewing as it was on the first. I encourage you all to see it again and again. There is something new to savor each time.

Third, we survived. Excellence is hard. It requires not only high aesthetic standards, but also patience, focus, vigilance, and funding. At one time those on the Renovation Steering Committee were convinced our tombstones would read, “Death by Excellence.”

Those three things, the programmatic possibilities of the building, excellence, and a sense of the future, have inspired this year’s efforts. Reopening was not the end, it was the beginning. Staffing and operating the building presented their own set of challenges but have reached a new normal. FOTO moved into the Observatory from itsold attic office space in Burbank in May when things reached our own new normal. With a six-fold growth in membership, everyone on staff has been devoted to providing “concierge service” to our members. The Board of Directors has been engaged in a process of reassessing its role now that the all-consuming Capital Campaign is a success. The Board has set up four new standing committees: a Vision Committee, a Public Private Partnership Committee, a Development Committee, and a Trustee Committee, all dedicated to ensuring Griffith Observatory continues to be the world leader in public astronomy. Future Updates will take a look at this important work.

Looking farther forward, did you know that 2009 will be the International Year of Astronomy AND the longest total eclipse of the century? Plans are already being made for both these things. As FOTO members, you will be among the first to hear about everything. Please renew and be a part of this exciting future.

Chris Butler, internationally renowned science artist and one of our own Senior Astronomical Artists at Griffith Observatory, presented a creation of his own to over 150 FOTO members in November in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater.

His animated voyage, known as Our Little Corner of the Galaxy, was narrated by Chris and combined art and science to transform our understanding of our galaxy and Earth’s place within it. He took us traveling via his spaceship, his witty and pointed narration andthe beautiful music that accompanies us all on this flight. Our Little Corner of the Galaxy was a smash success.

Next Cosmic Musings — Monday, January 28, 2008Cosmic Musings lectures are open to all FOTO members, so keep an eye out for the FOTO Blast coming your way aboutthis special presentation. If we don’t have your current email address, please email it to us at fotofriend@earthlink.net.

Each of you has made a commitment to Griffith Observatory and Friends Of The Observatory by your membershipand donations and we are very grateful. As we face the end of the year, we thought you might be interested in someother ways to support the incredible work we do here.

✦ Annual or year-end giftYour annual contribution allows FOTO to support new initiatives, programs, exhibit upgrades and continue to make public astronomy at Griffith Observatory intriguing and informative. Your donation to FOTO is deductible from your state and federal taxes.

✦ Memorial GiftsGifts made to FOTO in memory of a deceased individual at the time of death, on an anniversary or a special day, or at the holiday season.

✦ In Honor Of GiftsA wonderful way to acknowledge someone special, plus you are supporting your favorite organization, FOTO.

✦ Appreciated SecuritiesStocks and publicly traded securities you have held for more than a year can be given to FOTO while providing you with great tax advantages.

✦ Life InsuranceUnneeded life insurance policies may be donated to FOTO, or the policyholder may name FOTO as beneficiary.

✦ BequestsThe most popular form of a planned gift which also reduces the size of your taxable estate.

✦ Retirement Plan AssetsCharitable donations of these assets to FOTO offers one of the most efficient estate planning options — as these assets are subject to the highest combined income and estate taxes.

✦ FOR THE LAST TIME…Donors who are age 70 ½ and older can use funds from their IRA or Rollover IRA to make a lifetime charitable gift that is tax free. The gift cannot exceed $100,000 and must be made before December 31, 2007.

As always, please consult your tax professional to make sure you are choosing the best approach for you and your particular needs. For more information, call Melissa Devor, FOTO’s Director of Development, at 213-473-0879.

Join Friends Of The Observatory (FOTO) July 26 - August 5, 2008 as we travel to Russia towitness one of nature’s most spectacular celestial events, a total solar eclipse.

In cooperation with our friends at TravelQuest International, a leader in astro-tourism, we have put together a wonderful experience for all FOTO members.

We will explore the grandeur of Moscow including the Red Square, the Cosmonaut Training Center at Star City, Izmailovosky Park, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Kremlin and the Armory Museum. In St. Petersburg we’ll visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Pavlovsk Estate, the Hermitage Museum and Catherine’s Palace.

SPACE IS LIMITED , SO MAKE YO UR RESERVATION SOON .

For detailed information, visit www.FriendsOfTheObservatory.com and click on “Russia and Total Solar Eclipse.”

What do Clay Aiken, Kobe Bryant and Friends Of The Observatory have in common?

They all were born in 1978. So as FOTO approaches the 30-year mark, we thought it would be fun to retrace our steps for the benefit of those who came later. You might be surprised to learn the conditions under which FOTO’s scrappy band of founders embarked on their now-familiar mission.

“Our initial intent was to fix the building, which was 50 years old at that point,” says Kara Knack, FOTO member since 1978, long-time Board member and more recently a member of the Renovation Steering Committee.

They hardly dared dream bigger dreams.

“We were just grassroots,” recalls Natalie Evans, who was recruited by the Griffiths themselves to serve on the first board. “We had no staff. The board really did all the work, all the mailings, all the letter writing.”

In fact, FOTO owed its existence to Deborah Griffith, the wife of Harold Griffith, the grandson of Observatory founder Griffith J. Griffith. Her enthusiasm — and personal resources — fueled the movement.

FOTO faced a daunting task. “Admittance was free to the public but the Observatory wasn’t being well maintained because of the City’s budget cutbacks,” says Evans. “The Director of the Observatory and his staff were struggling tokeep the building open.”

“It’s amazing we sit here today enjoying the success and the organization that we have.”

But the Observatory director’s initial “wish list” was just the tip of the iceberg of what they needed…

Be sure to read the next edition of Update to hear more of the story of how FOTO grew from a kitchen-table enterprise to today’s thousands-member strong organization.

This image of a total lunar eclipse seen above Griffith Observatory on the morning of August 28th was created using eighteen separate exposures collected from a single fixed-camera position on the north patio of the Observatory. Exposures ranged from 1/250 at f/8 (for the full moon) to 4 seconds at f/3.5 (for mid-totality) using an Olympus EVolt 500 8MP camera. The photographer was Matt Ventimiglia of Simi Valley, CA, a Museum Guide at Griffith Observatory. The work combining separate exposures was done by Clark Hinkel of Applied Minds, Inc., Glendale, CA, using Photoshop CS2 image processing software. One image taken just after mid-totality provided sufficient illumination to capture the building and background sky color.

Dr.Verna B. DauteriveVerna Dauterive holds an M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University of Southern California (USC). Originally from Louisiana, she became an elementary school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in 1943 and became an administrator in 1954. Early in her career, she served as LAUSD’s Coordinator of Integration Programs, Administrative Consultant for Teacher Selection and Recruitment, and Administrative Coordinator of University Relations.

From 1982 until her retirement in 2005, Dr. Dauterive was principal of Franklin Avenue Elementary School in Los Feliz, not too far from Griffith Observatory itself. Her school, renowned for its “child-first” approach, emphasized arts education and actively engaged parents in the education of their children.

Throughout her professional life, Dr. Dauterive’s expertise frequently was employed by both public and private community service organizations. She was appointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) by Governor Pete Wilson and served two terms as elected chair. Prior to her work on CTC, she was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian to the California Commission on the Status of Women, holding two terms as elected chair. In her long association with USC, she has served as adjunct professor and as a member of the Associates Board of Directors and the Board of Governors.

Verna Dauterive’s connection to the Observatory includes the thousands of Franklin Elementary School students shepherded through its programs on field trips over the years.

“I visited with our youngsters many times and it was always extremely productive and fascinating,” she remembers. “They just humanized science for the teachers and for me as a teacher and a principal. It seemed to bring the world closer to the sky. The Observatory was always dear to my heart.”

Her retirement from LAUSD opened up possibilities for further involvement.

“They wanted greater diversity on the board and to increase its outreach program to include more representation from LAUSD,” she says. “That, and the Observatory would like more attendance by underepresented students.

“We hope some of these kids will become potential scientists and they will be inspired as they learn more about the universe. Even if we get only one or two — what a grand thing that will be!”

Michael LesterAttorney and CPA Michael H. Lester is the founder of a successful business managementpractice firm in Los Angeles. During the past 26 years, he represented some of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry in financial matters including budgeting, production accounting, investments, financial planning, insurance and tax planning and compliance.

Lester learned about FOTO from board member Chris Laib, who served with him on other community boards. “I love science and space,” he says, “and it seemed like a great opportunity, especially after I met others associated with FOTO and found what a highcaliber of people were involved.”

Prior to establishing his own firm, Lester practiced law for seven years and worked for a “Big 8” accounting firm, concentrating in the areas of taxation, corporate and partnership business formation and transactions, and securities law for both small start-up companies and publicly-held companies.

In 1996 Lester co-founded The Willows Community School, a private elementary and middle school in Culver City, Calif., and served as a board member and co-chairman of the Finance Committee for several years.

While maintaining his business management practice, in 1999 Lester co-founded an Internet new media company, served as its general counsel and chief financial officer, and directly assisted in raising more than $1,000,000 in seed money.

Lester attended Wayne State University in Detroit, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting in 1971 and a Juris Doctor in1974. He resides in Los Angeles.

Peggy MooreA resident of the Bunker Hill area since 1985, Moore has extensive experience supporting the growth and development of many areas of the City.

She was appointed in 2002 and 2004 by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn as one of nine Commissioners on the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions Fund Board, serving as president and vice president during her tenure. In 1993, 1997 and again in 2000Mayor Richard Riordan appointed Moore to the nation’s largest Community Redevelopment Agency Board (CRA/LA), where she served as chair and vice chair. She also was executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Youth Foundation for six years.

Her professional background includes 17 years with H.F. Ahmanson/Home Savings of America, the nation’s largest savings and loan. Moore remembers visiting the Observatory as a child of five with her family in the ’50s.

“The Observatory has always been part of my life,” she remembers. “I’ve always been interested in its development. By joining the Board now I’ve just formalized my love for something that I feel gives back to the community in so many different ways.”

Martin NeumannMartin Neumann is an estate planning attorney with Weinstock, Manion, Reisman, Shore & Neumann in Century City, the firm he joined after admittance to the Bar in 1981.

Neumann has written and lectured extensively in estate planning and co-authoreda leading textbook in the field, “Planning an Estate, a Guidebook of Principles and Techniques.”

Originally from Toronto, Neumann has lived in the greater Los Angeles area since the age of 4. He obtained both his B.A. and law degree from UCLA, returning there in 1987 to teach beginning and advanced estate planning courses for UCLA Extension. Besides working and teaching, Martin has been a High Holiday cantorial soloist for several synagogues over the last 30 years.

Neumann’s connection with Griffith Observatory began in elementary school with annual field trips, and like many area teenagers in the ‘70s, he frequented the Laserium shows. But the family connection to Griffith Observatory reaches even further.

“Some of the machining work on the Foucault Pendulum was performed by the grandfather of my wife, Karen,” he says. Over the last several years, Neumann and his firm worked closely with FOTO on their fundraising efforts.

The Neumanns are the parents of three children, Michelle, Danny and Jon.

Charles WilmotCharles Wilmot has been a banking professional for nearly 15 years and currently serves as a senior relationship manager in the Corporate Banking Group with Union Bank of California. He joined Union Bank in 2006 from Bank of America’s middle-market commercial banking group where he worked with both publicly held and privately-held businesses in the Greater Los Angeles region. He also led the not-for-profit/religious organization banking practice for Bank of America in Los Angeles. At Union Bank, Wilmot leads a corporate banking team focused on capital market, treasury, debt, and trade finance solutions for both privaten and public companies in the Los Angeles basin.

A Southern California native, Wilmot graduated from Walden High School in Orange County in 1985.

“I remember as a youngster taking field trips to the Observatory and had fond memories. That was the initial spark for my involvement now,” he says.

“I already supported their mission of education outreach — I benefited from that personally and thought this would be a great opportunity. But part of my interest has to do with what the Observatory does besides that [educational] mission — the scientific mission of the observance of the heavens.”

Wilmot formerly served on the Alumni Board of Directors for Graceland College. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the South Bay Economic Development Partnership and on the Parish Council for American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach. He is an active volunteer with the University of Iowa’s ASIST (Alumni Seeking Iowa Students) Program.

A resident of Hermosa Beach, Wilmot and his wife of 10 years, Maureen, have two children, Charlie, 5 and Isabel, 3.

Friends Of The Observatory (FOTO) is a non-profit membership organization established to support and promote Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California. Friends are people like you who value the Observatory for its importance to education, science and public astronomy.